There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with serving as a treasurer in a nonprofit. After all, unless you provide good governance and oversight of your NFP’s finances, your organisation won’t have the funding that it needs to make significant improvements. That’s one of the reasons why it can be so difficult for boards to recruit the best people for the position.

If you’ve been thinking about volunteering, you might be reluctant to take on the role if you’ve had little bookkeeping or financial experience. While you do need to be good with figures, you don’t have to have previous accountancy experience to be a successful treasurer.

Intuitive, easy-to-use software, like Admin Bandit, automates many of the tasks for you, so even someone with little experience can succeed. To be an effective treasurer, it’s much more important to be organised so that you can complete tasks on time. You should also be a good communicator, honest, and act with integrity.

If you remain on the fence about volunteering, you might want to consider the following benefits that will come with your service.

Pick Up New Skills

Whether you serve as treasurer, or volunteer for another position, working in a nonprofit gives you the chance to gain practical experience, improve your existing skills and learn new ones. All these factors will make you a more attractive job candidate when they are listed on your resume.

Use Existing Skills in a New Way

One way that serving as a volunteer treasurer uniquely benefits those with previous experience in the accounting or finance is that it allows them to look at issues in a new way. By applying your existing skill set differently, you will gain a new perspective and come up with new approaches that benefit both the NFP and any subsequent employer.

Make New Connections

Volunteering gives you the opportunity to meet people that you might not otherwise interact with on a regular basis. You develop relationships with those in the not-for-profits sector. Your new contacts may be your fellow volunteers, donors, advocates and other board members or even members or other beneficiaries of the services that your NFP provides.

Regardless of their backgrounds, or socio-economic status, these individuals are likely have connections of their own with different companies, agencies and associations that you would not otherwise meet. Expanding your network is nearly always a positive experience as it boosts your opportunities to forge bonds with others that will help you grow on a personal and professional level.

Show Your Worth and Display Your Values

There is a growing corporate movement for companies to become more socially responsible. Many are looking for associates that share their values, and that will want to use their employment to become part of something larger than themselves. What better way to show that you do care for your community than by volunteering with a local nonprofit?

Boost Your Spirit and Increase Confidence

Doing your part to make a difference doesn’t just help your NFP advance its cause, it can make you feel better about yourself, boosting your energy and building your confidence. When you present yourself with poise and self-assurance, it helps establish trust, increasing the chances that a decision maker will see you as the best candidate to fill a role in their organisation.